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Revealing the Magic and Mystery in Design

What do you typically look for in a design process? How do you approach working with your designer? If you are seeking some guidance in choosing your next designer/agency, you may find some cues in what to seek out below.

No magic tricks here.

Terrostar doesn’t set you up with a well thought out marketing plan only to let the design fall short. We know maps are only as good as the well-designed signs pointing your viewers in the right direction. This is where our design expertise comes into play. As Terrostar’s lead designer, I have come in contact with a variety of clients, all with slightly different takes on design. Some find it to be mysterious; no fancy rabbit out of the hat tricks here. Others find it to be too abstract and desire guidelines. At Terrostar, we try to take some of the mystery out of the design process so our clients have a better understanding that each design we create has purpose. We will never tell you we added a line or changed a color just because “we felt like it.”

Research is a must.

The first step in our creative process is to compile everything we know about our clients and their competitors. The best way to understand who and what we’re designing for is good ol’ fashioned research. It is also critical to know what our clients have been doing before Terrostar came into the picture. The easiest way to find out is simply by asking. How often do you update your website graphics? Do you have one sales brochure you use for everything? Maybe you have a logo that was created with clipart because you needed something quick, and it somehow stuck? We need to know what you have been up to in order to better know how to help you move forward.

Visual problem solving, carry an eraser.

I don’t know about you but I was never good at math so I always carried an eraser. Design is the same way; one miscalculated sketch can sometimes lead to the right answer. Using a computer can confine you too early on in the creative process, which is why I always start a design with a pencil and paper. This step is where I combined all the research and knowledge gained from our “getting to know you” client meetings and translate it into a living, breathing design concept.

Execution, by good design.

Once we have ironed out some solid concepts I finally put them into the computer to create a more client friendly, polished mock-up. This is when I separate the great ideas from the so-so. If there was magic in design, then I would say this is where it happens. Flat sketches become 15 page full colored booklets, sketchy illustrations become dynamic logos, and wireframes transform to beautiful front-end designs.

Our designs are only as successful as our clients’ reactions.

This is the exciting part, the final reveal. When all of the collaborating and hard work comes to fruition and is delivered directly to the client for review. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder BUT if we have done our homework and asked the right questions, the design should be on course with our clients’ visions and goals.

There you have it. Our not-so-mysterious design process involves research, visual problem solving, design implementation and delivery. While experience, talent, and a great design eye all play a very large role in the process, you are our number one priority and focus. If our finished product come as a huge surprise, then we haven’t done our jobs correctly. We are on this journey together so we are very careful to lay out expectations every step of the way. Our advice to you is don’t second guess yourself and, once you hire great talent, trust your designers!